Gordon Bunge, 98, Downers Grove Lawyer

July 04, 2000|By Joan Giangrasse Kates. Special to the Tribune.

Gordon Bunge, 98, a well-known Downers Grove attorney who specialized in probate and municipal law, and whose clients at various times included the villages of Downers Grove, Westmont, Clarendon Hills and Hinsdale, died Friday, June 30, in Elmhurst Hospital.

A lifelong resident of Downers Grove, Mr. Bunge had resided at Lexington Square in Lombard for the last 13 years. His parents moved from Chicago to Downers Grove in 1871, fleeing the fire that destroyed much of the city that year. Their house was located just blocks from where the blaze began.

"We still have the wicker basket and clock that my grandparents grabbed as they ran from the fire," said his son Allen Bunge. "It was all they had when they started their new lives in Downers Grove."

A graduate of the University of Illinois, Mr. Bunge received his bachelor's degree in 1924 and his law degree in 1926. He was a founding member and the first dean of the university's first law fraternity.

"He had fond memories of his law school days, remembering them as some of the best years of his life," said his son.

After entering private practice, Mr. Bunge established his office in a building in downtown Downers Grove, where his shingle hung for more than 60 years. During that time, he served as the president of the Du Page County Bar Association and was a member of the Chicago Bar Association. He was also a Mason for 76 years, making him one of the oldest members in Illinois history.

"During the Depression he hardly made any money, but got along like everyone else with clients sometimes paying him with things they owned or their own services," said his son. "He was well-liked and built a lot of friendships that way, the kind that sustained him over the years."

A former colleague described Mr. Bunge as a kind and gifted lawyer from the old school, whose reputation was built on honesty and trust.

"He was asked to be a judge several times, but turned the offers down because that was not what he wanted to do," said his son. Mr. Bunge was also a longtime member of the First United Methodist Church of Downers Grove.